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What's New
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Melodic
Techniques
The word “melodic” is
used for want of a better term, since there is nothing particularly more melodic
about this technique than any other. The term is borrowed from “melodic banjo
style”, which uses similar moves. Similar moves are also used in guitar
styles, in which the they are often referred to as “floating”. For the purpose of this
discussion, a melodic move is defined as a case where a fretted note is played above
the open position followed by the next lower note in the scale played
on a higher open string, or vice versa. Since open notes must be in the
scale for melodic moves to be available, keys that include all the open notes
(G, C, and D) offer the best opportunities. Other keys that contain 2 of the 3
open notes can also make use of melodic techniques. As
in the previous section, this section will be concerned with the keys G,
C, D, and A. Because melodic moves are,
by definition, free moves, bar movement is minimal. Melody lines can often be
simplified by one or more well placed melodic moves. This section will describe
exercises in which all possible melodic moves are used in the given key. During
normal playing, one may use a mixture of free, closed, and melodic moves, as
best suits the situation. A feature of melodic moves
is overlapping tones, that is, a note continues to ring while the next note is
played. Although this is a very pleasing sound, there are cases where one
desires the notes to be distinct. To achieve that goal may require some
additional damping techniques, which are not covered in this discussion.
All Melodic Moves in the Key
of G: G
E D C B
A G
E D C
B A
G A
B C D
E G
A B C
D E
G 1
6 5 4 3
2 1
6 5 4
3 2
1 2
3 4 5
6 1
2 3 4
5 6
1 |
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| -5-----0-----------------------------------------------------------0-----5-- ----5--------0-----------------------------------------------0--------5----- ----------5--------0-----------------------------------0--------5----------- ----------------7--------0-----------------------0--------7----------------- ----------------------5--------0-----------0--------5----------------------- ----------------------------5-----2--0--2-----5----------------------------- The above exercise uses a
nearly complete scale, visiting all the notes except the 7th (F#). KEY
OF G 2 Octave Melodic G Scale –
from the root on the first string: G
F# E D
C B A G
F# E D
C B A
G A
B C D
E F# G
A B
C D E
F# G 1
7 6 5 4
3 2
1 7 6
5 4
3 2
1 2 3
4 5
6 7 1
2 3
4 5
6 7 1
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| -5--4-----0-----------------------------------------------------------------0-----4--5-- -------5--------0-----------------------------------------------------0--------5-------- -------------5--------0-----------------------------------------0--------5-------------- -------------------7-----4-----0-----------------------0-----4-----7-------------------- ----------------------------5--------0-----------0--------5----------------------------- ----------------------------------5-----2--0--2-----5----------------------------------- 2 Octave Melodic G Scale –
from the root on the sixth string: 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 3
4 5
6 7
1 7 6
5 4
3 2 1
7 6
5 4
3 2 1
----------------------------------0-----4--5--4-----0----------------------------------- ----------------------------0--------5-----------5--------0----------------------------- ----------------------0--------5-----------------------5--------0----------------------- -------------0-----4-----7-----------------------------------7-----4-----0-------------- -------0--------5-----------------------------------------------------5--------0-------- -0--2-----5-----------------------------------------------------------------5-----2--0—-
KEY
OF D The following three
exercises are alternative ways of playing the open position exercises described
for the key of D in the Open Position Section. Melodic D Scale - from the
root on the first string: D
E D C# B A
G F# E
D C# B
A G A
B C# D
E F# G
A B C# D
1
2 1 7 6
5 4
3 2 1
7 6
5 4
5 6 7
1 2
3 4 5
6 7
1 |
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| -0-----0-----------------------------------------------------------------0-- ----5--------0-----------------------------------------------------0-------- ----------6--------0-----------------------------------------0--------6----- ----------------7-----4-----0-----------------------0-----4-----7----------- -------------------------5--------0-----------0--------5-------------------- -------------------------------6-----2--0--2-----6-------------------------- Melodic D Scale - from the
root on the fourth string, starting downward: 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 1
7 6
5 4
3 2 1
7 6
5 4 5
6 7
1 ----------------------------------------------0-----0----------------------- ----------------------------------------0--------5--------0----------------- ----------------------------------0--------6-----------6--------0----------- -0-----------------------0-----4-----7-----------------------7-----4-----0-- -------0-----------0--------5-----------------------------------------5----- ----6-----2--0--2-----6----------------------------------------------------- Melodic D Scale - from the
root on the fourth string, starting upward: 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 1
7 6
5 4
3 2 1
7 6
5 4 5
6 7
1 ----------------------0-----0----------------------------------------------- ----------------0--------5--------0----------------------------------------- ----------0--------6-----------6--------0----------------------------------- -0-----4-----7-----------------------7-----4-----0-----------------------0-- ----5-----------------------------------------5--------0-----------0-------- ----------------------------------------------------6-----2--0--2-----6----- The above exercises could be
varied by using the F# (3rd) on 5\7 instead of 4\4.
KEY
OF C The following four exercises
are alternative ways of playing the open position exercises described for the
key of C in the Open Position Section. Melodic C Scale - from the
root on the third string, starting upward: C
D E D C
B A
G F E
D C
B A
G A B
C D
E F G
A B
C 1
2 3 2 1
7 6
5 4 3
2 1
7 6
5 6 7
1 2
3 4 5
6 7
1 |
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----0-----0----------------------------------------------------------------- -------5--------0-----------------------------------------------------0----- -5-----------5--------0-----------------------------------------0--------5-- -------------------7-----------0-----------------------0-----------7-------- -------------------------6--5--------0-----------0--------5--6-------------- ----------------------------------5-----2--0--2-----5----------------------- Melodic C Scale - from the
root on the third string, starting downward: 1
7 6 5 4
3 2
1 7 6
5 6
7 1
2 3 4
5 6
7 1 2
3 2
1 ----------------------------------------------------------------0-----0----- ----0-----------------------------------------------------0--------5-------- -5--------0-----------------------------------------0--------5-----------5-- -------7-----------0-----------------------0-----------7-------------------- -------------6--5--------0-----------0--------5--6-------------------------- ----------------------5-----2--0--2-----5----------------------------------- Melodic C Scale - from the
root on the sixth string, starting downward: 1
7 6 5 6
7 1
2 3 4
5 6
7 1
2 3 2
1 7
6 5 4
3 2
1 -------------------------------------------0-----0-------------------------- -------------------------------------0--------5--------0-------------------- -------------------------------0--------5-----------5--------0-------------- ----------------------0-----------7-----------------------7-----------0----- ----0-----------0--------5--6-----------------------------------6--5-------- -5-----2--0--2-----5-----------------------------------------------------5-- Melodic C Scale - from the
root on the sixth string, starting upward: 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 3
2 1
7 6
5 4 3
2 1
7 6 5
6 7
1 -------------------------0-----0-------------------------------------------- -------------------0--------5--------0-------------------------------------- -------------0--------5-----------5--------0-------------------------------- ----0-----------7-----------------------7-----------0----------------------- -------5--6-----------------------------------6--5--------0-----------0----- -5-----------------------------------------------------5-----2--0--2-----5--
KEY
OF A The following three
exercises are alternative ways of playing the open position exercises described
for the key of A in the Open Position Section. Melodic A Scale - from the
root on the sixth string, starting upward: A
B C# D E F# G# A
B C# D
E F# E
D C# B A
G# F# E D
C# B A 1
2 3 4 5
6 7
1 2 3
4 5
6 5
4 3 2
1 7
6 5 4
3 2
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-------------------------------0-----4-----0-------------------------------- -------------------------0--------5-----5--------0-------------------------- ----------------------------6-----------------6----------------------------- ----------0--------6--7-----------------------------7--6--------0----------- ----0--------5--7-----------------------------------------7--5--------0----- -2-----6-----------------------------------------------------------6-----2—- Melodic A Scale - from the
root on the fourth string, starting upward: 1
2 3 4 5
6 5
4 3 2
1 7
6 5
4 3 2
1 2
3 4 5
6 7
1 ----------0-----4-----0----------------------------------------------------- ----0--------5-----5--------0----------------------------------------------- -------6-----------------6-------------------------------------------------- -7-----------------------------7--6---------0----------------0--------6--7-- -------------------------------------7--5--------0-----0--------5--7-------- ----------------------------------------------6-----2-----6----------------- Melodic A Scale - from the
root on the fourth string, starting downward: 1
7 6 5 4
3 2
1 2 3
4 5
6 7
1 2 3
4 5
6 5 4
3 2
1 ----------------------------------------------------0-----4-----0----------- ----------------------------------------------0--------5-----5--------0----- -------------------------------------------------6-----------------6-------- -7--6---------0----------------0--------6--7-----------------------------7-- -------7--5--------0-----0--------5--7-------------------------------------- ----------------6----- |
